Ever wondered what could’ve been the atmosphere of cannabis legalization movement without the existence of Rick Simpson Oil?

Without the popularity of cannabinoid extracts, cannabis may not have experienced the mainstream acceptance that it is experiencing today.

What exactly is Rick Simpson Oil? What makes it a good or a bad option?

Who is Rick Simpson

Rick Simpson started using cannabis extract to treat his cancer in 2003. Today, his name is a household name for the cannabis industry. Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, he took matters into his own hands after receiving surgery. Extracting cannabinoids directly from a plant, he was able to cure his cancer and help others in the process.

How do you make RSO?

Hemp oil made via Rick Simpson Process involves the use of dry leaves soaked in solvent. Different solvents can be used including alcohol to strip off specific cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. The first Rick Simpson Oil made use of Naphtha.

Around 2 gallons of solvent is used to extract cannabinoids from a pound of starting material. But of course, most likely, you can’t find that much material and start playing with a solvent in your backyard. For smaller quantities, you can start playing around with 500ml of solvent to extract an ounce of starting dry material.

After an initial wash, a second wash is done to extract as many cannabinoids from the dry plant. You’ll need to collect the second wash in the same bucket as the first wash.

Now, the tricky part is boiling the solvent off. Some individuals boil off the solvent and cannabinoid mixture using a rice cooker. But of course, this isn’t the safest way to do it. There’s always the chance of causing a fire.

Is Rick Simpson Oil depleting the benefits of cannabis?

Is Rick Simpson a good or a bad thing? You can argue that the CBD based Rick Simpson Oil, used to treat Dravet Syndrome, initiated some states to become interested in having a medical cannabis law. Though cannabis is still considered schedule 1 substance, these state laws increased people’s access to cannabis or components of cannabis.

But is it really effective? You could argue that based on its effect in Colorado, RSO was able to normalize a lot of children’s lives. After administration of Rick Simpson Oil, the likes of Charlotte Figi were able to live a normal life. However, you may argue that the process isn’t maximizing the fullest potential of cannabis.

Terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids are known to interact with each other to enhance the medical effects of cannabis. This synergistic effect is better known as The Entourage Effect. With different cannabis strains and different chemical profiles, we could be missing a lot by simply extracting a single cannabinoid, while leaving the rest of the terpenes, flavonoid, and cannabinoids to waste.

Non-psychoactive

So why really just prioritize CBD over other cannabinoids? CBD is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid that acts differently than THC. Instead of acting on cannabinoid receptors, it simply stops enzymes from breaking down the body’s natural endocannabinoids.

RSO’s main selling point is to leave the psychoactive cannabinoids such as THC. This somehow made it popular and acceptable for many lawmakers.

Safety?

Is Rick Simpson Oil safe? In contrast to other extraction methods, Rick Simpson method is one of the most dangerous ways of extracting cannabis components. Solvents typically used in the process are highly combustible and could easily burn your house.

With laws to standardize the production and distribution of cannabis related products including Rick Simpson Oil, could this prevent backyard manufacturing of the oil? Over the years, individuals have used naphtha, which is considered a potentially dangerous substance to use as a solvent. Today, the safest bet for this option is ethanol.

No matter how controlled the method is when using solvents to separate the cannabinoids, there is always a chance of consuming residues of solvents. Today, there are methods wherein no solvent is used in separating the cannabinoids from the rest of the components of cannabis.

One of the methods gaining popularity in the cannabis industry today is the Rosin technique. How does it work? It makes use of pressure and heat to separate terpenes.

Legal pros and cons

Rick Simpson Oil’s popularity created some legal pros and cons. For one, it started a clamor to revamp existing prohibition against cannabis. For some states, lawmakers provided cannabinoid-specific laws which can be used for certain conditions.

Though it provides a lot of patients with a legal alternative, this undermines the fact that their cannabis components work together to get its full medical benefits. However, you can argue that even cannabinoid-specific laws generated a good amount of income for states. Currently, 23 states have whole plant cannabis programs, while 14 states have used CBD-only laws.

Conclusion

There are different methods on how to enjoy cannabis. Smoking, vaporizers, and edibles are just some of the most popular methods out there. Rick Simpson Oil is an excellent option if you wish to enjoy extracts. Though a lot of its aspects remain debatable, it’s always a great option for different individuals.

However, this option can remain incompatible with other cases. There are some medical conditions which will require the combination of various cannabinoids and terpenes.

Should you attempt to make your own Rick Simpson Oil at home? Despite the information on how to make your own RSO, this isn’t suggested by experts in the industry. Since it involves volatile liquids that can injure you and other individuals, it has to be done in a laboratory setting.

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